1977 Motobecane Track

thanks! the thin letters are classic, but are hard to see in indirect light. at some time motobecane switched from thin to block letters, but i'm not sure when. anyhow, this one will get ridden eventually. probably no street rides though. the paint job won't take the abuse and at the moment i don't plan on making a clincher set. for the bars i'll likely get some benotto white or even just white cloth tape.

BTW, your 72 Raleigh is simply gorgeous. those and paramounts of that era are hands down the classiest rides ever!

See what you're saying about the font/name being hard to read, especially in the wrong lighting. My 72 Raleigh is the exact same way. Most people miss the name that don't recognize that classic color scheme. But I think your bike really stands out as currently done, even over the block letter option, which might be easier to see but not as aesthetically appealing.

You should ride that beast when you can, though. And the tubulars are GREAT, really a step up from most modern wheelsets. I've moved to tubulars on most of my bikes, even though I have clincher backups. I've had less tire issues with the setups, ironically enough. On another front, I really like the Benotto cello and cotton tape the best appearance-wise. The Benotto gets slippery in hot conditions but is super easy to clean. You need gloves if you sweat. The white cotton is great but gets totally dirty in several hard rides. A great compromise is the Ambrosio Bike Ribbon, which is thinner than cork and looks the part, feeling good as well. Ultimately, the thin stuff looks the best. And thanks for the Raleigh Pro Track comments. I love riding and looking at that bike! Many around here dont have any idea what it is but those that do get all fired up. It really is one of the all time elegant classics. But your ride looks VERY nice as well. She really stands out from afar, too.